Soft, chewy, a little cake-like, and swathed in citrus-infused honey, these cookies are the embodiment of time-honored traditions and ancient flavors. Although melomakarona are traditionally shaped by hand, we’ve sped up the process a little by rolling out the dough and using a cutter. Learn about the history of this ancient cookie in our Origin of a Classic article here.
Melomakarona
Makes about 24 cookies
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 cups (250 grams) cake flour*
- ½ cup (80 grams) semolina flour
- 1 tablespoon (3 grams) orange zest
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- â…› teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (56 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup (56 grams) neutral oil
- ¼ cup (60 grams) fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) cognac
- 1 tablespoon (21 grams) honey
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
Syrup:
- 1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
- â…” cup (160 grams) water
- 2 teaspoons (2 grams) orange zest
- ¼ cup (60 grams) fresh orange juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cloves
- ¼ cup (85 grams) honey
Topping:
- ¼ cup (28 grams) finely chopped toasted walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- â…› teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- For dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, orange zest, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oils, orange juice, cognac, honey, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture just until a soft dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- For syrup: In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring sugar, â…” cup (160 grams) water, orange zest and juice, cinnamon stick, and cloves to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and stir in honey. Pour into heatproof shallow dish, and let cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a wire rack on a sheet of parchment paper.
- On a clean surface, roll dough into a ½-inch-thick circle. Using a 1¾-inch round cutter, cut dough, rerolling scraps. Gently shape circles into ovals. Place 1 inch apart on prepared pans. Using a fork, gently prick top of dough once or twice.
- Bake until bottom edges begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Working in batches of about 6 cookies, using a slotted spatula, immediately remove hot cookies from pans, and place in cooled syrup, gently turning cookies to coat both sides. Place cookies on prepared rack.
- For topping: In a small bowl, whisk together walnuts, cinnamon, and salt; sprinkle on top of cookies. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
*We used King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Thank you for the recipe for delicious cookies. It’s simple, quick, and the cookies will be perfect for afternoon coffee. I wonder how long they can stay fresh in a container?
Hi Annie,
We recommend storing in airtight container for up to 3 days. Happy baking!